REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK) has received a request for witness protection related to the bribery case for the Meikarta project licensing in Bekasi Regency. LPSK has also supervised the Meikarta case trial process.

"A protection request already submitted to the LPSK and we are conducting a review," LPSK Deputy Chairman, Edwin Partogi Pasaribu said when confirmed in Jakarta on Monday (Jan 28).

Previously, LPSK had taken proactive actions in the form of monitoring the trial of the case at the Bandung Corruption Court (Tipikor) which scheduled the examination of witnesses. This initiative was carried out considering that testimonies of witnesses in previous sessions were very important, especially with the alleged involvement of a number of officials in this case, Edwin said.

The monitoring carried out by the LPSK team at the Bandung Corruption Court was expected to provide important points, both in terms of the importance of the information and also the potential threats that witnesses might receive.

According to him, the threat was very likely to happen considering the witnesses testimonies might be related to people who have power both politically and economically, so it was also important to give protection to witnesses.

"This monitoring is LPSK's responsive effort towards the dynamics of this case as well as to reach witnesses who need protection," said Edwin.

LPSK also encouraged witnesses who need protection or feel threatened to immediately apply for protection to LPSK.

"This is in accordance with the mechanism regulated by the Witness and Victim Protection Law, where protection is given based on an application. Even so, the LPSK team monitoring this session will also proactively offer witnesses to submit a request for protection," he said.

In addition to witnesses, LPSK also opened up to the suspects or defendants who wanted to submit themselves as witnesses of the perpetrators who worked together or known as justice collabolator (JC). The submission must certainly be in accordance with the requirements to become a JC, namely not the main actor, willing to acknowledge the deed, and want to return the proceeds of crime or assets obtained from the proceeds of crime.

"Becoming a JC is a way to uncover corruption cases as well as a way to repent and get a appreciation in the form of a remission for criminal penalties committed," he said.

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